UNICEF calls for holistic approach to tackle anaemia

Krachi, (V/R), July 19, GNA – The United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for a holistic approach to enhance
early detection and control of anaemia, as it impacts on girls’ performance in
day-to-day activities.

Madam Anne-Claire Dufay, Country Director,
UNICEF Ghana, said anaemia led to reduction in cognitive abilities and energy
levels of girls.

She noted that studies showed that in Ghana
half of girls of age 15 to 19 years were anaemic; therefore, there was the need
to create more awareness about it among teenagers, community members and
traditional leaders on anaemia prevention and control.

She said UNICEF and the Korea International
Cooperation Agency (KOICA) had initiated the Girls Iron-Folate Tablet
Supplementary (GIFTS) programme under its Better Life for Girls (BLG)
initiative, as part of efforts to reduce anaemia; so they could be stronger and
study better.

Ms Dufay made these remarks in an interview
with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of an interaction with students of
Dambai District Assembly Junior High School in the Krachi East District of the
Volta Region.

The interaction forms part of UNICEF-KOICA
joint mission to the Krachi East District of the Volta Region to access
interventions on adolescent girls.

The three year BLG project aims at providing
adolescent girls in Ghana with knowledge, skills, and an enabling environment
to enable them make informed decisions on issues affecting them and to help
them reach their full potential.

All 44 schools and 14 health facilities in
Krachi East are delivering the GIFTS programme whereas , a total of 2258
in-school girls and 624 out-of-school girls had been registered and benefitted
from the  programme, including the health
and nutrition education sessions.

Ms Dufay said that the students were knowledgeable
about issues girls were facing especially anaemia, as they complained of being
tired and weak, adding that “this is why we are supporting health authorities
in providing some tablets containing iron and folic acid, once a week.

She said UNICEF was keen to support the
Government of Ghana, in providing good education for girls in many of the
schools where they worked, as there were smart schools where awareness was
raised about the importance of eating rich iron foods.

The Country Director for UNICEF Ghana noted
that its holistic approach towards adolescent girl empowerment was actual
multi-sectoral, adding that we do not only work on health, but we work on child
protection, education, sanitation and water, with a common goal of helping them
reach their fullest potential.

Mr Yukyum Kim, Country Director for KOICA,
said the students had knowledge about what anaemia entailed and also understood
that the implementation of the GIFTS programme aims at assisting them to reduce
the prevalence of anaemia.

He said many of the students also testified to
the fact that since they started taking the tablets their blood levels had
increased, and was therefore hopeful that by the time the project was completed
anaemic level within the area will go down.

Mr Kim said the community would also be
enlightened because some students expressed misconceptions where their parents
were thinking the iron folic tablet was for family planning and not anaemia.

“So we have suggested to them to educate their
parents to understand the importance of taking the iron folic tablets”, he
added.

Since 2017, UNICEF has supported the Volta
Region to pilot the GIFTS programme which reached girls aged ten to 19, who are
at a higher risk of anaemia whether in-school or out-of-school, through
community health facilities.

Every Wednesday, during the school term the
in-school GIFTS provides each girl with a combined Iron and Folic Acid (IFA)
tablet by Direct Observation Treatment (DOT) .

The out-of-school GIFTS provide girls with one
tablet by DOT at the health facility and a remaining monthly supply of three
tablets for home treatment.

Health and Nutrition education sessions are
delivered in schools and in health facilities to equip boys and girls with
knowledge on iron and anaemia prevention and control.

GNA

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